Reverend Ong Doo Ying

Mr Sim Kheok Siap

Members of the Pasir Ris 21 BASC Management Committee

Principals

Ladies and gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure to officiate at the official opening of the Pasir Ris 21 BASC.

The education of our young does not lie with the schools alone. Our children have the best chance to learn, grow and develop to their fullest potential if there is a healthy and active home-school-community partnership. Not only can these 3 partners complement one another�s effort in developing our young into robust, industrious and morally upright citizens, but they can also provide the support for one another in areas of need. So where parents are unable, and where the schools face constraints, the community can rise to the call and help address a need or demand. This is very well exemplified by the provision of Before and After School Care for children which would not be possible without the active involvement of the community.

The Before and After School Care (BASC) programme was first mooted in 1996. The concern was that children, if left on their own without adult supervision before and after school, would run the risk of falling into bad company. In our society today, it is common to have both parents in a household holding full time jobs. Many such families have therefore found it necessary to make arrangements for their children, especially young children, to be taken care of by others. Some families are fortunate in that there are grandparents or family members to turn to for help in taking care of young children. However, not all have this option. The establishment of the BASCs therefore provide another child supervision facility to assist working parents.

Before and After School Care programmes can be based in a school or in the community. In 1996, there were only 3 school-based BASCs set up with the support of Touch Community Services. Today, we have 15 schools which provide BASC with the support of 8 different Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), and I understand that more school-based BASCs will be established this year. In addition, the number of community-based BASC programmes run by VWOs has also increased by leaps and bounds from the original 58 in 1996. There is a need for Before and After School Care for our children, and the support from the community has proven to be crucial.

I am glad that the Pasir Ris 21 BASC offers a wide variety of well-planned activities. These include supervision of homework, creativity and enrichment classes, recreational and outdoor play. It is also heartening to note that you have introduced the buddy system in your programme. This system provides an opportunity for the children to learn to care and show concern for one another from a young age. In short, the Pasir Ris 21 BASC has created an environment that teaches our children the value of teamwork, and the spirit of caring and sharing.

When the Pasir Ris 21 BASC first started in July 1998, it had only 4 students in its care; the number today is 67. Most of the children are residents of the community, as well as students at nearby primary schools, such as Pasir Ris Primary, Loyang Primary, White Sands Primary and Coral Primary School. The locale of Pasir Ris 21 BASC is convenient for parents of children who study at these nearby schools.

The vision of the advisors and management committee of Pasir Ris 21 BASC is commendable as it is service for the community by the community. In addition, it has the support of a core group of volunteers, made up mainly of professionals who are willing to devote their time and energies to see to the development and well-being of our children. This spirit of volunteerism is praiseworthy, and provides a good role model for the children at Pasir Ris 21 BASC to emulate.

In conclusion, I wish to congratulate the Management Committee of Pasir Ris 21 BASC and staff for their commitment, and the volunteers for their unselfish service to the community.

Thank you.